Personal Statement

In 1986, when first offered the task, as a birthday gift, to figure out a way to honor Africans who had died in the Middle Passage I had little to no idea of either the what or how I could manage to make this happen. I didn’t realize that much of what I had learned or had done in life would help in fulfilling an all-encompassing commitment to ensure that the circle be unbroken – that connects literally by blood the dead, the living and the unborn.

This Project is a major undertaking and passion in my life. Coming from a family that cherishes history, stories and personalities, I am sure that an effort to expand possibilities for others to learn about their own connections to the past and places comes naturally. Delving into the data has made me increasingly aware of how incomplete the appreciation of Black people’s presence and contributions to building this country is for many of us. Over the past decade we as a group of people have worked with various communities and people along the Gulf and Atlantic Coasts; thought seriously about how and why African ancestors must be commemorated; and learned a lot of history and its legacy.

For me, this Project has been truly a gift that now defines me, as clearly as my relationship with family and friends. It has matured and developed a uniqueness that highlights a shared experience, the Middle Passage. Our particular process of approaching specific areas to acknowledge their history and to encourage ancestral remembrance ceremonies and marker installations has altered my perspective on race, class, culture, national identity and responsibility.